The Madison Plan Commission voted 5-2 in favor of the demolition of a 122-year-old house at 441 W. Mifflin St. Monday, sparking strong reactions from both sides of the issue.
The current plan is to demolish the house and replace it with two-unit and four-unit apartment buildings. According to Frank Staniszewski, president of Madison Development Co., the plan will increase density and affordability on the property.
Staniszewski laid out the plan for the development at the meeting.
'The current plan is that one duplex will be demolished and the other will remain,' Staniszewski said, referring to another duplex that is not slated for demolition.
Many at the meeting were in favor of the demolition of the house.
Ald. Michael Verveer, District 4, supported the plan to demolish the building, a plan that MDC has modified in recent weeks.
'The original proposal was not supported by many in the neighborhood,' Verveer said. 'But the neighborhood does support this project.'
Verveer also took into account the students in the Mifflin Street area.
'Even some student residents at the neighborhood meeting on Thursday said that they believe that the house needs to go,' Verveer said.
Concerned citizen Rosemary Lee said, 'The house deserves an honorable death.'
'The house has suffered more than 50 years of neglect,' Lee said, adding it is no longer a viable residence. 'The fire of 2004 has left the building unlivable and has been vacant since then.'
However, others at the meeting opposed the demolition, claiming the house is a historical landmark.
Gene Devitt opposed the plan and is pushing for restoration instead of demolition.
'The Victorian home is from 1884 and should be saved,' Devitt said. He added that salvaging the house would not be very difficult for an experienced crew.
'Consider saving this home, because it is an important part of Mifflin Street and the surrounding area,' Devitt said. 'I don't think this is a hard one to restore.'
But with the plan commission's recommendation, the city council is likely to approve the development. That would mean the end of the house at 441 W. Mifflin St, historic or not.
However, Lee said demolition is often necessary for a city to move forward.
'New buildings will fit in artistically with the surrounding buildings,' she said. 'The house deserves to die so that this project can go on.'
